Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;zanmusundance&#39;

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Zanmusundance’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with yellow ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date October 6-10; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofchrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifoliumRamat., and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar denomination‘Zanmusundance’. ‘Zanmusundance’ is a product of a breeding andselection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had theobjective of creating new chrysanthemum cultivars with a double typeinflorescence, a natural season flower date October 6-10; blooming for aperiod of 5 weeks. ‘Zanmusundance’ is a seedling resulting from thecrossing of female parent id 15069 and male parent id 4917. Plants of‘Zanmusundance’ differ from plants of the female parent in growth rate;those of the seedling show a higher rate. Plants of ‘Zanmusundance’differ from plants of the male parent in the color of the ray-florets;that of the male parent is white, while that of the seedling is yellow.

The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a floweringplant by Wilhelmus Bernardus Blom on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout,The Netherlands in 2005. The first act of asexual production of‘Zanmusundance’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were used fromthe initial selection in 2005 and propagated further in a controlledenvironment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. The new cultivar has beenfound to retain its distinctive characteristics through successivepropagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown outdoor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands under natural day length andtemperature and planted in week 22 in 2008. The natural blooming date ofthis crop was October 6-10 . The average height of the plants was 30 cm.No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease or insectresistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold or droughttolerance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms with yellow rayflorets blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘Zanmusundance’ is ‘Zanmusundown’ (U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/314,959). When ‘Zanmusundown’ and‘Zanmusundance’ are being compared the following difference is noticed:The difference of ‘Zanmusundown’ and ‘Zanmusundance’ are (1) Plant size.And (2) Flower color. (1) The plants of Zanmusundown’ are smaller thanthose of ‘Zanmusundance’ (2) The flower of’ Zanmusundown’ are moredeeply yellow colored than those of ‘Zanmusundance’.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘Zanmusundance’ as a new and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 2001.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of Chrysanthemum xmorifolium Ramat.‘Zanmusundance’ Bud Size Small; cross-section 0.6 cm, height 0.5 cmShape Oblate Texture Pubescent Outside Color Greyed-green 191APhyllaries Number 25-28, arranged in 3 rows Shape Elliptic Apex AcuteBase Truncate Margin Entire Color Upper side Greyed-green 191A Lowerside Greyed-green 191C Length and width 3 mm; 2 mm Texture PubescentInflorescence Type Double Height 0.5 cm Diameter 4 cm Peduncle length4-6 cm Peduncle color Green 138B Peduncle diameter 1 mm Peduncle surfacePubescent Number per branch Approx. 7 inflorescences Flowering periodindividual Ca. 4 weeks inflorescence Seeds Produced in small quantities,ovate, Greyed-brown 199A, length 1.5 mm, diameter 0.8 mm Fragrance Faintchrysanthemum odor Color Center of inflorescence (ray- Immature stage:Yellow 13A florets) Mature stage: Yellow 13A Color of upper surface ofthe Yellow 9A ray-florets Color of the lower surface Yellow 8A of theray-florets Tonality from Distance A garden mum with yellow flowersColor of the ray-florets after Yellow 9D aging of the plant Ray floretsTexture Upper and lower side smooth Number 140 Shape Elliptic ApexPointed Base Obtuse Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis of Straightmajority Length of corolla tube 3 mm Ray-floret margin Entire Ray-floretlength 1.3-1.5 cm Ray-floret width 5 mm Ratio length / width Medium Discflorets Disc diameter 1 mm Distribution of disc florets Scarce, onlyvisible in mature inflorescence Shape Tubular Color Yellow 11D at apex,Yellow-green at 150D at base Number 3-4 Length 0.5 mm Diameter 0.3 mmReceptacle Shape Conical raised Height 5 mm Color Green 138C Diameter 4mm Reproductive Ornans Androecium Present on disc florets only Stamenlength 3 mm Stamen color Yellow-green 144A Anther color Yellow 3A PollenNot observed Gynoecium Present in both ray and disc florets Style colourYellow-green 154C Style Length 3 mm Stigma colour Yellow 7A Stigma Width1 mm Ovary Enclosed in calyx Plant Form Grown as potmum, outdoor raisedand mounded Growth habit Spherical shape Growth rate Medium Height 30 cmWidth 45 cm Stem Color Greyed-brown 199A Stem Strength Weak StemBrittleness Brittle Stem Anthocyanin Coloration Not observed Internodelength 12 cm Length of lateral branch From top to bottom 15-17cm Lateralbranch color Green 137C Lateral branch diameter 2 mm Lateral branchbrittleness Brittle Branching (average number Prolific with 9 breaksafter pinching of lateral branches) Natural season blooming date October6-10 to November 10-14 Foliage Leaf color Upper side: Green 139A toGreen 139B Lower side: Greyed-green 191B Color midvein Upper side:Yellow-green 147D Lower side: Yellow-green 148D Size Small.; length1.5-4 cm, width 1-2.5 cm Quantity (number per lateral 15-17 branch)Shape Elliptic Texture upper side Sparsely pubescent Texture under sidePubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shape of the margin Entire toserrated Shape of Base of Sinus Acute Between Lateral Lobes Margin ofSinus Between Diverging Lateral Lobes Shape of Base Acute to truncateApex Mucronulate Petiole length 2-5 mm Petiole diameter 2 mm Petiolecolor Yellow-green 147D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison variety ‘Zanmusundance’‘Zanmusundown’ Plant height 30 cm 25 cm Plant width 45 cm 40 cm Colorflower disc Yellow 13A Yellow-orange 15A Color upperside ray-floretsYellow 9A Yellow 12A

1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant as described andillustrated.